Executive Report - CyrusOne · Six Key Steps to Obtain Better Geophysical Data Analysis and...
Transcript of Executive Report - CyrusOne · Six Key Steps to Obtain Better Geophysical Data Analysis and...
Executive Report
Six Key Steps to Obtain Better Geophysical Data Analysis and Operations in Data Centers
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The energy industry strives to meet ever-increasing demand while IT leaders seekopportunities for greater efficiency.
The Oil and Gas Industry Stands at a Crossroads
On one hand, global demand for energy has never been higher. On the other, unstable
markets, variable oil prices and rising pressure from government and environmental
groups are creating major challenges for the enterprise. The demand for state-of-the-art
geophysical analyses is required to meet goals, and maintain efficiency.
Both trends have spawned technological improvements that demand nearly real-time
consumption of information and generate vast amounts of data. How oil and gas
companies manage the collection, storage, retrieval and growth of this data will
be a primary success factor moving forward.
Oil and Gas Technology Advances Have Produced an Explosion of DataCompetitive pressure to locate new sources of oil and gas has produced powerful
information technology (IT) innovations and, subsequently, a data explosion. Take
geostatistical software, for example. To achieve the best fluid dynamics simulation
within a reservoir, oil and gas companies rely on increasingly sophisticated reservoir
characterization software and tools.
Geostatistical software is used to accurately capture and visualize complexities while
providing updated models for flow simulation use. As the software becomes more
sophisticated, the resulting data increases exponentially and is vastly more cumber-
some to manage with conventional computing resources.
Chief information officers (CIOs) need robust infrastructures to handle the unique IT
challenges of the oil and gas industry. Extremely high server densities, ample storage
capabilities and complex network architectures are just a few of the components
needed to support every geophysical analysis stage.
Oil and gas companies require cost-efficient, advanced data center strategies to
address the data explosion taking place within their industries. As computing hardware
becomes denser to allow the processing of more data, the equipment requires even
more power and cooling. In many cases these enhancements cost twice as
much as the equipment itself.
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Technology Now a Primary Business DriverMIT Technology Review published a piece on how innovation is bringing some very
big changes, notably in the areas of how the use of big data is impacting practices in
the industry. Then there was a highly technical paper presented at an conference, both
in 2015, on the use of new 3D seismic technology to optimize exploration and drilling
practices in the field.1
During the next few years, these companies will analyze various oil and gas
businesses and identify the best candidates to invest in for future profits. As this
trend unfurls, IT innovation will be a deciding factor in which companies receive
funding and which companies the investment community leaves behind.
With oil and gas investors identifying IT functionality as a key strategic asset for
technology must be viewed as a business enabler and not just a background solution
that facilitates operations.
In response to these demands, oil and gas companies will face the critical decision
to build or outsource data center construction. This decision forces them to work
outside of their core competency and divert resources to IT that could otherwise
go toward drilling efforts. This is problematic because handling the data and
applications associated with geostatistical analysis requires high-density server
environments, advanced cooling architectures and “… network capabilities that
can transmit critical real-time information between drilling sites and data centers.”
The Volume and Speed of Data Access in Geostatistical AnalysisOil and gas companies face major IT challenges when the importance of geophysical
testing converges with investors’ increasing emphasis on IT. Vital functions include
tracking seismic activity, simulating fluid dynamics in a reservoir, completing
geostatistical modeling processes, and applying sequence stratigraphic principles.
Because testing is becoming more complex and is conducted more frequently, oil and
gas CIOs are managing staggering quantities of data between data centers and field
A snapshot of data collected during seismic data processing.
1 Forbes.com/ SEP 23, 2015, Innovation Thrives In The Oil & Gas Industry
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workers. This creates major challenges within the data center.
The initial exploratory process presents major stumbling blocks. The seismic analysis
performed during this period hinges on effective seismic data integration, for example,
and ensures the accurate collection of information regarding the scope, continuity and
core dynamics pertaining to seismic regions.
In many cases, the process requires almost instant access to dozens of terabytes (and
often more), and creates challenges even greater than those associated with analyzing
mature oil and gas reservoirs.
Exacerbating the challenge is the fact that the data must be transmitted faster and
delivered to recipients in real time. Such data-related challenges are furthered by the
need to clearly visualize the information on highly specialized field equipment that
allows for rapid analysis and accurate interpretation of geological conditions. To achieve
that goal, companies must send parallel packets of information into visualization tools
with a level of detail and clarity that field workers can use to make intelligent drilling
decisions.
Colocation Decisions Align Closely with Revenue Generation Performing geostatistical analysis is a key revenue generator in the oil and gas industry.
Increased political and geological risks are pushing companies to more accurately
ascertain the material output of drilling sites. To ensure consistent revenue and drilling
projections, oil and gas companies complete geostatistical analysis on both early
development locations and mature reservoirs – a competency area where data
accuracy can be limited.
Information analysis is built around gathering as much information as possible with
reasonable precision, and then using that information to develop sensible reservoir
oil and gas yield estimates. Accuracy and efficiency during this process are attained
through rapid interconnects between offshore wells and data centers, optimized data
flow, and access to real-time data.
Advanced data center application and hardware systems help oil and gas companies
gain high-performance data analysis, storage and delivery – all of which contribute to
optimized procedures that align with business needs. Increasingly, major oil and gas
organizations turn to leading enterprise colocation vendors to provide not only space,
power and cooling for their mission-critical data, but also expedient interconnects
between field and data center locations or between data centers.
Colocation is when a business rents space for servers and other computing
hardware. A data center company provides the building, cooling, power, bandwidth
and physical security, while the customer provides servers and storage. Colocation
offers oil and gas companies more than just an easier way to gain access to an
interconnect infrastructure; it also reduces costs and enables new levels of
network flexibility and security.
Oil and Gas CIOs Feel the Pressure of High Performance Demands
Geostatistical requirements have made the data center a major priority for oil and gas companies.
With the successful management and transmission of geostatistical data of such premium importance, the logical step for many CIOs is to manage the process themselves.
While self-control of operations can work in some circumstances, this strategy pulls resources away from other operational needs. Turning to a colocation provider, on the other hand, can give oil and gas companies access to future-proof data center systems that can not only meet their operational needs, but also give them a strategic edge in geostatistical analysis and other geophysical processes.
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Advantages of Colocation and Third-Party Data Center ServicesColocation’s performance benefits are considerable and difficult to ignore.
Geostatistical analysis systems and other oil and gas-related IT solution hosting
depend on a high-density server environment capable of processing large quantities
of data and supporting incredibly complex applications.
High-density servers are difficult to configure, manage and maintain. However,
a potentially greater challenge is offering the resources needed to foster a
high-density computing environment.
When taking a strategic view of the data center – and factoring in the power, cooling
and interconnectivity requirements – many oil and gas CIOs are finding colocation
is the best choice.
In fact, many are already leveraging colocation as a way to mix and match data
centers; maximize their content delivery networks; and deliver data in a much faster,
efficient manner.
Demanding Power RequirementsThe data center’s core purpose is to provide the power and cooling infrastructure
needed to keep servers healthy and working at peak capacity. High-density servers
often feature multiple processors with multiple central processing unit (CPU) cores.
The machines’ sophisticated and powerful nature creates an environment in which
electricity consumption can skyrocket due to server, storage system, network
equipment and cooling infrastructure power consumption.
Having an extremely efficient, redundant and resilient power setup is therefore
essential for data centers serving oil and gas companies.
High-Density EnvironmentsThe potential for heat-related problems within components is substantial in a
high-density server environment. The data center infrastructure required to support
high-density server environments must be able to handle the increased watts per
square foot. Typically, high-performance computing systems require at least
250 watts per square foot of data center infrastructure support. As a result, efficient
cooling architectures must be combined with robust management tools that identify
any hot spots and notify data center managers, who can respond to the problem and
improve airflow before equipment failure occurs.
When supporting geostatistical analysis applications, equipment failure could mean the
loss of terabytes of data, contributing to major revenue consequences down the line.
Having the power, cooling and management infrastructure in place to prevent these
systemic failures is vital for oil and gas companies.
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State-of-the-Art Equipment, Facilities and ConnectivityToday’s oil and gas CIOs are thinking about big data, real-time data connections,
interconnection among business partners and customers, and myriad other data-related
issues. CyrusOne’s interconnected data centers not only provide the right level of power,
cooling and security, but they also assuage many of the challenges plaguing today’s oil
and gas IT departments.
Company-owned servers that were previously refreshed only every five years, for
example, are replaced semiannually by state-of-the-art servers requiring a power and
cooling architecture designed specifically for that piece of equipment’s computing
specifications.
High-quality colocation facilities can deftly manage frequent shifts in the hardware
configuration without experiencing availability or power issues.
While the core facility capabilities offered by colocation providers make them an optimal
choice for oil and gas companies, the data distribution functionality may be just as
important.
CyrusOne colocation facilities are built to ensure rapid data delivery over fiber-optic
cabling infrastructure from the central location to global information distribution centers.
With the CyrusOne National Internet Exchange (IX), oil and gas companies obtain the
robust, low-latency connectivity needed to transfer huge data files to help them make
strategic decisions in a timely manner.
Environmentally EfficientIn an industry like oil and gas, sustainable data center operations can make a company
stand out for all the right reasons.
Combined, all of the above factors simplify the data center landscape dramatically
for the CIO who, in attempting to build a private data center, grapples with performance
issues, future-proofing, network and sustainability considerations, and staffing
management. Colocation providers can completely alleviate these burdens and let
CIOs focus as many resources as possible on the core competencies that drive
business success, gaining the positive attention of investors, regulatory bodies and
environmental groups.
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SummaryMore and more Fortune 500 leaders are counting on colocation as the best way to scale
IT infrastructure, reduce capital expenses, and allocate more resources on their core
business to enable growth.
Optimized for high-value seismic processing equipment for oil and gas companies,
CyrusOne’s colocation facilities feature best-in-class data center power systems,
redundant cooling architectures and unparalleled IX capabilities.
CyrusOne’s Seismic IX (based in Houston), together with the CyrusOne National IX
platform, enables customers to seamlessly share information with business partners,
content providers, networks, carriers and other entities.
Oil and gas companies may have historically been required to own their own data
centers to meet specialized needs, but colocation now offers functionality, savings
and interconnectivity to enable oil and gas CIOs to focus on using IT resources to
drive business growth, rather than just keep the lights on.
Single consolidated data center• With all of the eggs in one basket,
harden the basket.
Three or more data centers• Active – Active – Passive
• Active – Active – Active
Two data centers• Active – Passive
• Active – Active
Data Center Options
CINCINNATIMETRO
NEW YORKMETRO(coming soon)
PHOENIX
AUSTIN
DALLAS
HOUSTONSAN
ANTONIO
NORTHERNVIRGINIA
CHICAGO
ER-004-2016 | © 2016 CyrusOne Inc. CyrusOne Enterprise Data Centers | 855-564-3198 | CyrusOne.com
About CyrusOneCyrusOne specializes in providing highly reliable, flexible and scalable enterprise data
center colocation that meets the specific needs of customers across its broad portfolio
of carrier-neutral data center facilities in the United States, Europe and Asia. CyrusOne
employs its Massively Modular® engineering and design approach to optimize design
and construction materials sourcing and enable just-in-time data hall inventory to
meet customer demand. The company engineers its facilities with redundant power
technology, including an available 2N architecture.
CyrusOne customers can mix and match data centers to create their own production
and/or disaster recovery platforms by combining facilities via the low-cost, robust
interconnectivity provided by the CyrusOne National Internet Exchange (IX).
About the AuthorVince FavaDirector of Solutions Engineering
Vince Fava is responsible for Sales Engineering and Customer Implementations at
CyrusOne. Prior to joining CyrusOne, he served JPMorganChase for 26 years in various
technology roles, most notably as Director of Data Center Technologies for the Southern
and Eastern United States, overseeing the consolidation of 22 data centers into 12 mega
centers.
Vince received his diploma in Computer Technology, Programming and System Design
from New York University in 1983. He received an Honorable Discharge from the United
States Army in 1980 where he maintained a Top Secret Signal Intelligence security
clearance while working for Intelligence and Security Command, formerly the Army
Security Agency.